Pinery Provincial Park

Notable Campgrounds

• Best for camping near the lakeshore and beach: Dune Campground
• Best for quieter campers: Burley Campground
• Best for campers who want year-round adventure: Riverside Campground

Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation

1. Campers can book sites at the Pinery up to five months in advance through the Ontario Parks Reservations Service. Take that five-month window seriously if you hope to book for a summer weekend, since many sites fill as soon as they’re available. Mid-week dates are always easier to find, as are dates in spring and fall.
2. If you can’t secure a campsite, keep checking. People do sometimes cancel, and the sites will pop up in the reservations system again.
3. If there’s nothing open at The Pinery, try Point Farms Provincial Park, further north along the Lake Huron shore.

When to Go

Pinery Provincial Park is open year-round. As a beach destination, the park is busiest in the summer, from June through Labour Day in early September, but the autumn months of September and October are a favorite time to visit, with a mix of cooler weather and fewer crowds. While springtime weather is more variable, you can snowshoe or cross-country ski along 40 kilometres of walking trails during the cold, snowy winter.

Know Before You Go

• The Pinery Park Store sells some groceries, camping supplies, and snacks. In the town of Grand Bend, less than 10 kilometres north of the park entrance, you’ll find grocery stores and other shops, where you can stock up on food or beach gear.
• Several wineries have opened north of The Pinery, so take time to taste your way through this emerging wine district.
• The park rents bikes for kids and adults, canoes, single and double kayaks, and paddle boats. On winter weekends, you can rent snowshoes or cross-country skis.
• The Pinery’s day-use beaches and picnic areas are separate from the camping areas, giving campers a little buffer from the beach-going hordes.